Doctor’s advice
Dr Bheem says that it is important to show your chest. “No no you’ll have to show it. This is a rule I follow, without seeing a patient, I can’t go through with the operation. No no… At least, even if you are from outside Delhi, then come a day prior and you think talking on call will clear things and then afterwards it becomes a point of confusion in the OT.”
What is the problem with not showing?
Dr Bheem talks about the issues there are is not showing. “Now a few days ago, a patient came from Sangli. And then on the day of the OT, I don’t know how I missed it, but he came on the day of the operation, early morning at 8 am from Sangli. And then he said that he wanted double incision done but I saw his chest and he was the candidate for keyhole.. So I decided then that in 6-8 months, if you are willing, and you have some extra skin on you, then I can take out some skin then we can do it. This patient’s parents were standing there and even they were confused. So yeah I told him, this is what you prepared to so it is okay we will go through with the keyhole. Afterwards, he was really happy, he said I was here to do a Double Incision but this works.”
Last minute is not okay
Dr Bheem says this because, “That’s what gets confusing if you come just before OT, then the doctor can last minute tell you no you are actually a candidate for keyhole or you think you will have a keyhole and are not prepared for a double incision and so it will be an issue. So at least one day before coming to OT, if you are from outside of Delhi then please keep this in mind.
And secondly, I have seen that if you are meeting me a day before the operation 80% of your stress will go away. And this is true, suddenly, because I am also new here because I am also new to you, you come and meet me in the morning of the surgery it will cause you stress. If we have done a video call or not, and so it is good that you come a day before the surgery and meet me.”
Preparations
Dr Bheem tells us that, “Like I said before, come meet a day before, so my attendant calls you up, sometimes I do or you can do it too. And the next day then you can confirm the timings because we have other patients too and so I might have 2-3 patients in line, sometimes 4 so there are preferences, and we give kids the highest priority. So that’s why call a day before because only then we are able to tell you what time you should report to the OT.”
Reporting Time
“If you get your time between 10-11 am then you’ll have to come in without any food, on an empty stomach. If I feel like you’ll get your number at 2-3 pm then I will ask you to drink some juice at 6 am. If it’s at 4 in the evening then I ask for you to have a full breakfast and then come by 10-11 am. And this is all we can all tell you before a day if you can do a night stay.”
Caution
You have to be cautionary and not do things that are harmful to your body. Dr Bheem says, “You should stop smoking and doing tobacco for a while before the operation.”
Hygiene
Dr Bheem says that hygiene is the most important thing here, “Take a bath before coming here. On the day of the surgery please take a bath properly because everything is related to hygiene and you need to be hygienic. So a common complication is when we are trying to fix the nipple, we don’t want any infections. So if my patient is coming to the surgery after taking a bath then it is proper. Even if you are coming to the operation theatre from outside of Delhi then don’t do that thing where you just come directly from an aeroplane or a train to the surgery. All of this gives a chance of complication and so there has to be proper preparation. So remember that this is top surgery, we aren’t doing surgery for your stomach. So you have to take a bath and come in.”